The Jester, The Viscount, and The Knight
by moonlight.soul.FIRE
Summary: By constantly tending the bar, Mirajane picked up on the flirting habits of the guys of Fairy Tail. One-Shot.


_**Disclaimer**_: I, on my honor, swear that I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Summary:**_ _By constantly tending the bar, Mirajane picked up on the flirting habits of the guys of Fairy Tail._

By constantly tending the bar, Mirajane picked up on the flirting habits of the guys of Fairy Tail. They were not the most discrete boys in the guild after all.

Natsu loved sleeping in Lucy's bed, which initiated numerous misunderstandings.

The perpetually stripping Gray tended to speak a little firmer and exude far more authority whenever Lucy was within earshot.

Loke was her trusted Celestial Spirit, always showing at her beck and call—occasionally against her own will—with a smile on his face and a pick up line on his tongue.

Just like nearly every other girl in Fairy Tail, Lucy was generously endowed—not to mention undeniably cute, as Mirajane loved to point out. It became quite easy for Lucy to develop her own little following, though they were not as loyal or fervid as Erza's fanclub. Regardless, which each passing quest, Lucy was making a name for herself around the local guild. With each new male materializing in Lucy path yearning to either disrobe her or shamelessly flirt with her, the celestial mage's three most loyal followers seemed to be a little more passionate about their feelings.

_**Natsu**_:

Damn. It. All. To. Hell.

That wretched fire breather was in her bed again, for about the third time that week.

Lucy could almost tolerate Natsu sneaking in after an especially long and painful mission for a good night's rest, though she could not tolerate the disgusting sweat stench he left as a parting present in the morning.

But this was just getting ridiculous, the third time? It was becoming so casual for him to just slither through her window—actually he wasn't even sneaking in anymore, he would just blatantly follow Lucy and collapse on her bed while she was in the bath.

But there he was, fast asleep on her bed. Yet again. And yet again would she have to pull the extra guest blankets to drape across the couch for her own little makeshift bed. She was living in such a beautiful place, but was forced to sleep like a peasant all because Natsu was too lazy to walk to his own home for slumber. He had some nerve kicking her out of territory like that.

And as if she would ever sleep in the bed next to him, they were friends after all. There would be no cuddling in her house if she could help it; she still had not gone on a proper date despite her charming personality and attractive appearance. She was still a bit naïve, and honestly she could be almost as dense as Natsu.

And Natsu surprisingly took advantage of that.

Lucy never put two and two together whenever she would fall asleep on the couch and wake up in her cushy—and sometimes foul-smelling—bed.

But one day Natsu decided he wasn't going to just leave her that morning.

Her eyes opened, and outlined tufts of pink, spiked hair.

His arms weren't snaked around her or anything like that. They weren't embracing as lovers; they weren't even close to one another. His back was turned to her, and his obscene snoring shook the curtains in front of him. He didn't shower, typical, and Happy was resting on his hip with a rotting fish in his mouth.

Something about the whole ordeal was quite endearing even though her bed was stained with the scent of the Salamander's body odor and was shaking from his thunderous snoring. A small smile unconsciously tugged at her lips, her hand reaching out to stoke the very tip of fringe that hung off his scarf. She pulled at a single piece of material before snapping her hand to her throbbing chest.

What would the guild think of their unholy actions?!

In a flash she sprung from the bed for the bathroom in dire need of another bath. Once the door was slammed shut, Natsu's exaggerated sleeping habits silenced. His reptilian eyes opened against the gentle sun pouring in and traveled to the blue rock that lay on his hip.

"Oi, not a word, Happy."

The little blob of a cat held a thumb up before flying out towards the guild.

"Aye, sir!"

Natsu chuckled boyishly and followed his friend out of the window, leaving the curtains fluttering in the morning breeze.

_**Gray**_:

She was pretty, could he really help that?

And he naturally took off his shirt and pants—in the most nonsexual way possible—could he really help that as well?

Well maybe around Lucy he could stand to keep his pants on, it was better to refrain from giving himself false hope.

Maybe he was a bit lecherous as well—with thoughts like that—but he had the best intentions, honest.

But it was never his plan to be alone with Lucy under the circumstances that presented themselves that day, or maybe it was.

"Lu-cy," Natsu said melodically with a flyer in his hand, "I found a job for 700,000 jewel!" Lucy's doe eyes glittered at the price displayed across the tattered flyer. Natsu proceeded to explain the details of the mission; and no matter how simple it sounded, Gray dutifully invited himself along.

"We don't need your help, droopy-eyes!"

"Oi, this job is at least two days away, and you won't last that long on any train or carriage. Erza is off on a single person mission, so I should go to make sure your carelessness doesn't cause Lucy any injuries."

"I can last, you ice-bastard!"

"You can walk or take Happy, I'll accompany Lucy on the train."

"The Hell you will, stop speaking down to me like I'm your little brother!"

"I would never degrade myself with such a title!"

"Gray, clothes."

"Wha?!"

Against Natsu's fervid will, Gray escorted Lucy onto the train while said dragon mage set off early for their destination.

"Ano, Gray, you didn't have to insult Natsu like that. He's gotten better with controlling his motion sickness." Gray seemed uninterested in her appraisal, and closed the whistling train window. Lucy did not appreciate the thick silence between them, and spoke up after a little stuttering,

"All we're doing is catching the stray polar bear cubs to transport—Gray put your shirt back on—them away from danger. Natsu and I could handle it, honestly. You really didn't—Gray, put your pants back on—have to accompany us."

"I'm an ice mage, it would be beneficial to have me there to help." Gray drawled, scratching his exposed stomach. He found a peculiar sense of pleasure seeing Lucy turn scarlet at his semi-nude state, and allowed a sly grin to flash across his cold face. Lucy took in a sharp breath at his smug, brooding expression. What did he have to be so complacent about anyway? While she was mulling over the topic, why had Gray become so controlled, not to mention controlling? He freely invited himself on missions, and had put an extinguisher on the rivaling fire that burned between him and his child-hood friend. Erza was absolutely at a loss of words by their diminishing intensity. Had Gray become…

An adult?

Preposterous.

But even Lucy could sense something slightly different about their exhibitionist.

He sat across from the celestial wizard, still clad in just his boxers, stretched over the booth in a position too uncomfortable to be natural. He seemed quite intent on the whirring landscape that skated by outside of the train, seldom looking Lucy in the eye even when she would send seething glares his way. When he finally did meet her gaze, she recoiled in embarrassment—as she was stretching her face to break the iron tension between them—though Gray appeared amused by her childish actions.

"We should get some rest, the train will stop in a couple hours for a quick break. We can make sure Natsu is still on the right path before getting back on." Lucy's hair straightened and her skin turned a sickly blue.

"Y-you think he'll actually keep up with this _train_?!" Gray chuckled at her incredulous hand waving.

"It's Natsu, he might actually beat us since he's so fired up." Lucy had not ceased twitching at Natsu's determination, her fingers resting on her lap as if they were trying to clutch the thin air. In her own little world she held up her hands, trying to calculate how in the name of Fiore Natsu could possibly beat them to the Ice Village on foot while they traveled by train.

Her amazement was quite charming, though the fact that she was so stupefied by specifically Natsu put a damper on her appeal. Did it really have to be that idiot fire dragon? Gray placed his curled fist under his jaw near his ear, his other hand hung limp across his bare knees. Without realizing it, a small smile pulled at his thinned lips. She was admittedly cute, and over time she had grown impressively strong, stronger than that first day at the guild where she happened to walk in on a mild scuffle between friends within the guild. For reason unsure, Gray felt a tinge of delight of his first impression, despite leaving most guild members red faced. She had seen every single inch of him, and over time he was given the same privilege—though regrettably Natsu was by his side when she had been exposed. It was not Natsu's skin to-

"Gray, why are you looking at me funny?" He caught a dusty breath and coughed into his hands that he had been caught daydreaming.

"N-nothing, we should get some rest." He turned on his side and leaned on his bag as a replacement pillow. Faintly he could hear Lucy hum in agreement, her clothes rustling as she attempted to get comfortable.

He was returning from the bathroom—he really needed to stop drinking so much ice water before bed, not to mention something about trains really did a number on his bladder—and quietly opened the door that led to his and Lucy's booth.

She was sleeping soundly, the moonlight illuminating her honey-colored tresses. Everything about her slumbering body was so peaceful, he didn't even register that he was drifting closer to her lightly snoring figure. Before his mind could regain full consciousness he reached out a hand that was chapped and rough from years of battling and training towards one of her stray blonde locks. His own brutal hands clashed horribly over her delicate and well tended hair, but he couldn't depart so quickly. He rubbed the strand in between his coarse fingers, marveling how something as simple as hair could be so soft and inviting. The whistling wind from outside trickled into their booth; Gray turned his attention to the window to see that he did not close in entirely.

He puttered over to the howling window and made to shut it, but not before Natsu's enraged face turning conflicting shade of red and green. He was putting up quite a struggle to subdue his nausea from the moving train, at the same time trying not to punch Gray's face through the glass. Gray reached a muscled arm out to Natsu, and swiftly grabbed him by the collar only to throw him off into the snow, Happy following close behind.

With a triumphant grin, he closed the window completely and collapsed on the booth, the tingling of Lucy's hair trembling over his calloused fingers.

_**Loke**_:

He was Leo the Lion, the ultimate manservant to Lucy Hearfilia. Though Lucy denied such crude labels, and opted to call the lion her friend.

He was not in favor of her diluting their relationship, however. His numerous confessions, gifts and actions she merely brushed off as his flamboyant personality.

And yes he was flamboyant, he could admit that, but he genuinely did love the girl after she risked her own life to save him. She was so kind-hearted; she loved all of her Celestial Keys, he regrettably thought. She loved them all equally and wanted to be the kindest and most honorable key-wielder possible. She wanted to everything solely for the interest of her friends. Her heart even at its worst was made of pure untarnished gold.

And damn, did she have to be so pretty as well?

During his playboy days—or at least his more rambunctious playboy days—every girl he met seemed to pale in comparison to Lucy. Her shining blonde hair, healthy skin, curvaceous figure, the infectiousness of her wide smile.

Just everything.

It was an ordinary day at the guild, with Lucy's hoard of female friends prodding her to get a boyfriend, or at least get a simple non-romantic date with someone from Fairy Tail. Her face colored numerous tones of green, blue, and red at their less than desirable choices.

"Lu-cy," they sung, "just pick someone!" Her face had surpassed every shade of red and had fazed to purple. She was unable to utter a single sound, her hands waving robotically at her friends.

Who else to show during a conversation about casual romance but Loke the Lion. He pushed his glasses up, his profile catching radiant strings of light from outside, and opened his mouth for yet another theatrical performance declaring his love for his key master.

"Hime-" he started, but halted by her stoic face. She did not look tolerant of his antics, or embarrassed by them either. She sat still, waiting to endure another one of his recitals with closed ears. He leaned down on one knee with Lucy's hand in his own.

"Hi-me," he stressed, "should have someone as perfect as she is." His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. "Hime need not worry about something as trivial as romance."

They paused; did Loke just honestly refer to the topic of romance as trivial?

"Your knight will always be here by your side, even when your perfect prince does finally show up." He rose to his feet—oddly far taller than Lucy remembered—and placed an unexpectedly tame peck against her silky gold bangs before returning to the Celestial World.

Lucy was finally able to gurgle out a small squeak at his departure, did every day at Fairy Tail have to leave her either blushing or unfathomably confused? Before she could fully recover, and before the rest of the guild members could prod her with teases, a certain fire breathing mage busted through the doors with an accustomed elation in his eyes.

"Lu-u-u-ucy!" He bounced up to her with a flyer clutched in his hands.

"100,000 jewel for fixing the town's local amusement park?" Lucy read the paper that was still grasped in Natsu's excited fingers. He took Lucy's shoulders and shook her while Happy glued his little blue body against Natsu's vibrating arms.

"Maybe once we finish, they'll give us free rides on the rollercoasters!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy groaned, still entrapped by Natsu's fidgeting. Lucy couldn't help but smile in response to Natsu's enthusiasm, but was a knocked forward by Gray's imposing voice,

"I will take part in this mission to ensure that Natsu does not demolish the entire park." Lucy sighed as Natsu stomped up to the ice mage rolling his metaphorical sleeves up with fire exuding from his back. Gray, as usual, was in nothing but his skivvies with his frosted arms crossed. Loke watched from the Celestial World, pushing up his classes to conceal the glint in his eye.

Mirajane stood at the end of the bar with a glass twisting in her fingers, a smile draped across her cheeks.

Lucy may not have had a prince,

But she has a fire-breathing jester,

A frigid, but dutiful viscount,

And a lion-hearted knight.

She rubbed the towel over her the glass's firm lip, her smile widening. In the distant, their silhouettes formed a perfect shape of comprised of loyalty, respect, and devotion.

"Lucy Heartfilia," she whispered as she set the glass on the table.

…

_**Author's Note:**_

_Blegh, I don't like that ending, I'll have to find a way to fix it._

_But anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, the little love tri-quad-angle angle thing between the Fairy Tail guild members!_

_Please review! _


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